After 30 years as an HTM professional, Dean Skillicorn has done it all. The Project Service Manager/Operations Manager at Philips Healthcare in Los Angeles saw duty as a BMET and field service representative before entering management.
Like so many in the field, Skillicorn received his training in the military, but his original intention was to train for a different area within electronics.
“I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in October of 1984. I went in guaranteed electronics, hoping to get into avionics on F-16s. Instead, I was selected for a ‘small’ field called Medical Equipment Maintenance,” he recalls. “My training instructor told me I had just been selected for the best electronics position in the military. I definitely agree with that position 30 years later.”
Skillicorn’s Air Force training consisted of 40 weeks in the USAF Medical Equipment Maintenance Course at Sheppard Air Force Base in Witchita Falls, Texas. He graduated in August of 1985 and headed off to Korea to do a short tour at Osan Air Base. That assignment lasted until September of 1986, at which time he ended up at the USAF Medical Center Keesler at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.
When that assignment was up, he received an honorable discharge and went home to Oregon.
Career Path
From his days in the Air Force all the way to his current position with Philips, Skillicorn has garnered extensive experience in many places.
“I have been a Field Service Representative for Physio-Control in Los Angeles, a BMET in the USAF, and a BMET at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon,” he says. “My management positions have been at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California; Kaiser Permanente in Southern California; Trinity Health in South Bend, Indiana; Sodexo Clinical Technology Management in Biloxi, Mississippi; Morse Medical in Seattle, Washington; and Philips Healthcare North America in Escondido, California at Palomar-Pomerado Health.”
In his current position, working at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, he manages a $7 million contract consisting “mainly of Philips and multivendor imaging and ultrasound equipment as the operations manager.” As a manager, Skillicorn relies on the technicians who engage in the actual maintenance activities for their knowledge and background. His job is to support them so that they can provide “the best customer service to our customers and create the best possible patient care experience for patients.”
Like so many in the HTM field, he approaches the task of maintaining medical equipment with the assumption in mind; what if that device was being used on me or a member of my family? The patient safety aspect cannot be overstated for Skillicorn.
“I think that comes from working in the USAF and the fact I have a special needs child,” he says.
He positions this concern for patient safety, against the competitive market environment that exists today, and says that it is the biggest challenge in health care.
Involvement
The rigors of work are just part of Skillicorn’s involvement in his profession. He volunteers his time also.
“Certification is the biggest one. I served on the ICC/USCC/US BMET Board of Advisors for four years until it transitioned to the AAMI Credentialing Institute this spring,” he says. “I am still very much involved in certification. I was a part of the Subject Matter Experts which developed the newly released Certified Healthcare Technology Management Certification for ACI the last two years and released in June. I am still actively involved with CBET, CLES, and CRES as needed.”
He helped form the Medical Equipment and Technology Association (META), which started in 2005. He remains on the board of representatives for that organization. He has also been involved with the California Medical Instrumentation Association (CMIA) in the past.
Skillicorn says that he takes an immense level of pride in the HTM field. He says that it takes special people to face the daily challenges in supporting health care in the manner that members of the profession do every day.
“I love what I do in this profession. I have been very fortunate to have the relationships with the people I have met over 30 years. I love doing the behind-the-scenes things to support the profession,” he says. “Involvement with AAMI, META, the CMIA, etcetera. Mentoring the people I mentored. For me, it’s all about the lifelong relationships I have developed. I have a huge love of this profession. It’s what I will leave behind when I retire and a future legacy for the profession.”
Family
Away from work, Skillicorn enjoys fly fishing and hockey. He is a big Los Angeles Kings fan. He puts family ahead of everything else though. His family includes his wife Kelly and their six children. They enjoy camping as a family, traveling and bar bequing.
“I have been married for 25 years to my wife, Kelly Renee Shoemaker-Skillicorn. She is my partner, best friend, and staunch supporter and advocate,” he says. “We live in Alta Loma, California. We have six kids: Brian is 21 and a freshman at Indiana Institute of Technology where he majors in Business Administration and plays collegiate hockey. Our son Daniel, 19, is a senior at Alta Loma High School and plays tennis. We have twin daughters that are 18, Kaitlyn and Jessica. Kaitlyn is also a senior at Alta Loma High School and is a musician. Her sister Jessica is a special needs child and has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. Our son Jason is 16, and wants to be a forensic scientist. The ‘baby’ Adam is 10, and plays soccer and ice hockey.”
Working for a major player in health care, he still gives credit for his work and longevity in the field to those around him. Those extra hours away from work also require some understanding and support.
“My position is that I cannot be successful as a manager and employee without good people above and below me supporting what I do,” Skillicorn explains. “They are the reason I am successful, and that especially is true of my family who have sacrificed a lot of time with me by allowing me to participate in what I do in this profession. My wife has been my biggest supporter and biggest fan. I don’t think I would be successful without her support.”
